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Indonesia and Australia Join Forces to Combat Global Fake News: Digital Spark Challenge 2024 as the Solution

  Editorial INTI     1 bulan yang lalu
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Jakarta, INTI - Indonesia and Australia have demonstrated a strong commitment to tackling the global challenge of fake news in the digital era. Through the Digital Spark Challenge 2024 (Ideathon), this cross-country collaboration successfully engaged young people from ASEAN, Timor-Leste, and Australia to develop creative initiatives to combat the spread of disinformation and hoaxes that have become rampant in the online world.

The event, held from September 30 to October 3, 2024, served not only as a competition but also as a platform for learning and sharing ideas. Secretary General of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo), Mira Tayyiba, stated that Ideathon provided a golden opportunity for the younger generation to present creative ideas in addressing the challenges of today's digital era.

“Ideathon offers a platform for young people to confront the spread of fake news through innovative solutions, especially via social media campaigns. Participants took part in comprehensive workshops, learning about fake news, developing campaign ideas, and receiving guidance from experts,” said Mira Tayyiba during her remarks at the closing of the Digital Spark Challenge 2024 in South Jakarta on Thursday (03/10/2024).

Cross-Cultural Cooperation for a Smarter Generation

During the event, Secretary General Mira Tayyiba emphasized the importance of preparing a more informed and resilient society to face global challenges, particularly in combatting disinformation.

“With platforms like the Digital Spark Challenge, we can strengthen cross-cultural cooperation and encourage young people to use their creativity to take an active role in addressing global challenges, such as fake news and disinformation,” she added.

The event was initiated by The Asia Foundation and Love Frankie, with the goal of empowering young people through the necessary skills to counter hoaxes using social media as the primary tool for campaigns. Throughout the workshops, participants were introduced to various relevant topics, such as how to identify fake news, misinformation, AI-manipulated content (deepfakes), hate speech, online bullying, privacy violations, and online fraud.

ASEAN Youth Take Action

The Digital Spark Challenge 2024 involved 21 teams, each consisting of two participants representing countries from ASEAN, Timor-Leste, and Australia. Each team was mentored by experts in developing social media campaigns to address issues related to disinformation and fake news. The NoFake Duo team from the Philippines won first place, followed by The Overland team from Australia in second place, and Indonesia’s Srikandi team in third place.

At the event’s closing ceremony, Secretary General Mira Tayyiba praised the winners. "We are immensely proud of the enthusiasm displayed by the participants, who formulated creative strategies to combat the spread of fake news and disinformation. The innovations they produced are a significant step toward creating a more credible and accountable information ecosystem in the digital age," she stated.

Global Collaboration to Combat Fake News

Secretary General Mira Tayyiba also stressed the importance of cross-country collaboration in combating fake news. As technology advances and information dissemination becomes more widespread on the internet, cooperation between ASEAN countries and Australia is a strategic step toward creating innovative solutions.

The event is also part of the ASEAN Task Force on Fake News, led by Indonesia. Additionally, the Digital Spark Challenge strengthens regional collaboration by inviting young people aged 18-25 to contribute to solving the growing challenge of disinformation.

The event was attended by the Australian Ambassador to ASEAN, H.E. Tiffany McDonald, as well as representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste. Their involvement reflects a serious commitment to combating fake news through the empowerment of the younger generation.

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